


Non-Routine Maintenance

by htbthomas



Category: Batman (1966), Stargirl (TV 2020)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, Motorcycles, Touches of Comics Barbara as well, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:22:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28213881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/htbthomas/pseuds/htbthomas
Summary: The motorcycle was a beauty, kept in great condition, the blue and yellow paint job still glossy, minus the unavoidable insect splatter. "This is a great bike. How long have you had this?""Thanks," she said, though her voice was muffled through the helmet she hadn't removed yet, "it's been in the, uh, family, for a while now."
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Non-Routine Maintenance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gray_Cardinal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gray_Cardinal/gifts).



> Thanks to Karios for the beta. ❤

Pat could hear it coming when it was two blocks away, loud and sputtering enough that he lifted his head from where it was bent over the Ford Fairlane he was servicing. Sounded like a... sixties Yamaha motorcycle, maybe late sixties? But he could have been off by a few years. And it sounded like it was in major trouble.

Wiping his hands on his grease rag, he stepped out from under the rolling metal door to find out if he could see it coming as well as hear it. Suddenly, the sound cut off; the silence was stark compared to the sounds it had been making before.

Pat trotted out to the street. There it was, being walked by a woman in a blue helmet with long red hair streaming out from below. No one he recognized. He hadn't lived in Blue Valley more than six months, but he knew everyone who owned a classic. He waved toward her, hoping he could get her attention. She may not have been coming to see him before she came to Blue Valley, but she certainly needed him now. "Hey! Over here!" he called.

She looked up, seemed to take in his coveralls and grease rag. Then she nodded, or at least her helmet did, and picked up the pace.

He met her halfway, stopping to admire the motorcycle. It was a beauty, kept in great condition, the blue and yellow paint job still glossy, minus the unavoidable insect splatter. "This is a great bike. How long have you had this?"

"Thanks," she said, though her voice was muffled through the helmet she hadn't removed yet, "it's been in the, uh, family, for a while now."

"One owner?"

"Yep."

Pat whistled. "Must be worth a fortune."

She shrugged. "Maybe. She's an old friend, though." She started to push the bike again and Pat came around on the other side to help. "I'm Barbara." She held out her gloved hand for him to shake.

"You don't say?" He took her hand. "My wife's name is Barbara, what are the odds?"

"Haven't met many others, that's for sure, not these days. And you are...?"

Pat flushed a little; he'd been so fascinated by the bike and the coincidence of her name that he'd forgotten all his manners. "Sorry, I'm Pat—I run the auto repair shop over there."

"Kinda figured." He could see a tiny smile under the visor. "She could definitely use your help."

"That's fair," he said easily, "it'd be an honor, a beautiful old girl like this." They walked the last fifty yards in silence, and he took over once they reached the doors, and rolled the bike into one of the service bays. "How long has she been acting like this?"

Barbara took off her helmet then, finger-combing her hair back from her face. "Since about a mile out of town, I'd say. It was fine for most of the Midwest, but I guess she just needed a rest."

Pat blew out a disbelieving breath. "You've drove her that far?"

"Farther. Started on the East Coast."

"Surprised she lasted this long. Probably needs an oil change, tune up, maybe new tires... I think I have the right size in stock, but I'll have to check..."

"It's okay. I can stay a few days if you need to order any parts, take in the tourist sites, see what there is to do."

Pat laughed. "You'd finish that in an afternoon. Not much happens around here." At least not at the moment, now that the ISA was gone or hiding away licking their wounds. 

"Is that so?" she said, her tone considering. "I heard there was a bit of excitement back in November."

Pat didn't react. He was used to out-of-towners asking about that night. "You mean the earthquake?" He chuckled. "Can't promise anything like that happening again."

"Not now that you've got it under control, right?"

That made him go still where he was bent over the bike. Who was this woman? He kept his voice level as he said, "Not sure what you mean."

"I think you know," she said, her eyes sharp and taking in everything in the room. "I make it a point to look into any unusual activity, it's sort of a hobby. I know the news reported an earthquake, but that's not consistent with any readings I've been able to collate."

Pat straightened up. "I'm just a mechanic. If there was anything 'unusual' going on during the earthquake, I wouldn't know." He walked around to the other side of the bike, putting it in between them. She looked like she was in top physical shape under that jacket and a pair of blue jeans. If she was an ally of the ISA, he didn't know how long he could hold her off without calling one of the kids, who were all in school at the moment. "Not my area of expertise, not even a hobby, like you put it."

She gave him another one of those tiny smiles. "While I appreciate the 'aw, shucks' routine—and it's a good one, you probably have the whole town fooled—you really don't need to fear anything from me." She even took a step back, holding up her gloved hands. "I'm here on behalf of my, um, boss. He knew your old boss, back in the day."

That could mean anything. He was starting to wish he'd rigged up some sort of alarm system here in the shop, something that could notify the kids, or even send a signal to the Cosmic Staff. He'd let himself get soft, relaxed his guard. What was he thinking?

"If I recall," she continued, "you even met him once." She pushed a button on a device strapped around her wrist, which he hadn't noticed before, and he jumped back in defense. But instead of a laser beam or some sort of weapon, a holographic image appeared in the air. A photo, of him as Stripesy, Sylvester as Starman, and the last person he would have expected, Batman.

"Huh," Pat said, rubbing a hand through his hair while he processed the information. "Guess you must have picked up a few detective skills if you work for Bruce."

He watched her react to his use of Batman's civilian name. After all, two could play this game.

She gave him a slow nod, her tiny smile finally widening to a real one. Then she shut off the holographic display and said, "Now that we've got that out of the way, do you mind giving me access to the JSA Databanks? I'd like to analyze the data first hand."

"I'd love to, but..."

"Don't worry about the bike. I added a little 'Bat'-something to the gas tank to make it sound like that." At his widened-eyes, she explained, patting the seat, "Bruce's formula, she's fine."

"Good to hear! But that's not actually the problem. It's Dr. Mid-Nite that you'd have to talk to, and—"

"He's dead. Got it. I'll just—"

"No," he said. "She's still in sixth period."

After a moment's pause, Barbara let out a huge bark of a laugh. "Is the whole New JSA a bunch of teenagers? Figures."

He'd expected concern, not amusement. "Figures?"

"Yeah," she said, still laughing. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "I have some idea what that's like. You and Bruce should really catch up."


End file.
